Well done Easts.

[novice chook]

Hope you had a fantastic trip down under Dan and all the best for the trip back to the Old Dart.

Your team was beaten by a better side but certainly not disgraced. They held their own in the second half and didn't give up the ghost like some NRL sides would have.

And congrats to the Wigan faithful for adding plenty of atmosphere to the game and being passionate but good natured in your support. Extra kudos as most of them stayed on for the entire presentation afterwards, long after many Roosters fans had left. You were all clas from start to finish.

NC

[stsae]

Personally I thought the Wiggles were butt ordinary.

We hadn't played a trial together. They had played 3 trials a premiership game and a trial vs the bros.

We scored two tries straight up their guts. They didnt even look like busting us up the middle.

Their 3 tries came from our errors. A simple drop and numbers out wide after sustained ball from penalties.

And we dead set bombed 5 tries with basic handling errors.

I conceded they were without more blokes from their GF team but that is the reality of playing the game so long after the respective GFs.

Nothing against UnwashedDan and the other Wiggles fans. They were in great numbers and voice. Embaressed teams like Penwiff and WoManly and the Tardpoles who never travel in those numbers.

But I don't believe we played anywhere near our best. IMO it shows again the massive gap between both comps. Sure individual players can come over and aim up but their domestic comp is so far behind the NRL it's not funny. Especially in defence.

Coggy and Greeds were bang on with their pre game predictions.

[DanWRL]

Personally I thought the Wiggles were butt ordinary.

We hadn't played a trial together. They had played 3 trials a premiership game and a trial vs the bros.

We scored two tries straight up their guts. They didnt even look like busting us up the middle.

Their 3 tries came from our errors. A simple drop and numbers out wide after sustained ball from penalties.

And we dead set bombed 5 tries with basic handling errors.

I conceded they were without more blokes from their GF team but that is the reality of playing the game so long after the respective GFs.

Nothing against UnwashedDan and the other Wiggles fans. They were in great numbers and voice. Embaressed teams like Penwiff and WoManly and the Tardpoles who never travel in those numbers.

But I don't believe we played anywhere near our best. IMO it shows again the massive gap between both comps. Sure individual players can come over and aim up but their domestic comp is so far behind the NRL it's not funny. Especially in defence.

Coggy and Greeds were bang on with their pre game predictions.

Cheers for stating the obvious Stsae. Is your glass always half full?

It was hardly a vintage Wigan performance either and we are certainly capable of playing a lot better than that. Still no excuses, beaten fair and square. Onwards and upwards from here.

[DanWRL]

Would have loved to have seen these two teams play each other at full strength last year after the grand final ... The Wigan team that we played last night wasn't the team the team that won last year ..

You know I was just saying the same thing the other day. Why not play it straight after both grand finals? It would make perfect sense!

[DanWRL]

well done dan, must admit the many wigan fans i spoke to at the game very cclassy and passionate about their team, these are traits we understand, i was very impressed with your team on the field and i think if you still had tomkins at fullback the game would have been in doubt? a pity we were a bit rusty first up, but after the hitout with you we are a better team for it already! yes you are welcome at our ground anytime!

The scoreline might have been a little closer had he been playing because he is the type of player that has the ability to make something happen from nothing. I think we still would have lost though. I can't help but think our goal kicking is going to haunt us this season. Smith really is no Pat Richards in that department.

Hope to play you again next year anyway.

[DanWRL]

Well done Wigan and it was great to meet up with Dan n the Folks from Wigan....passionate rugby league people n some great stories were told.

Hope both clubs go back to back to set up return encounter in the Old Dart.

Cheers

Good stuff. Hopefully we can have a beer in a Wigan pub next year!

[stsae]

Cheers for stating the obvious Stsae. Is your glass always half full?

It was hardly a vintage Wigan performance either and we are certainly capable of playing a lot better than that. Still no excuses, beaten fair and square. Onwards and upwards from here.

Mate I respect you and your fans that travelled there.

I respect your clubs awesome record and history.

But I honestly believe the gap between the two comps has grown wider of late. So much so that I doubt your side would make the top 8 in the NRL.

I don't know the answers or how to prevent the gap widening other than like has occurred with The Bros over the last 20 years you may need to get more players out here, even look at getting a side in the NRL???

I reckon your comp is lucky the WCC is a one off game each year and scheduled when it is, cos it gives your teams at least a chance to compete. Fair dinkum if we played you a week or 2 after the GF we'd have destroyed your mob

I'm not especially trying to be negative, I'm just not going to sugar coat what I believe the situation to be. Personally I would prefer The Poms to be a lot stronger for RL in general. Nothing better than genuine competition IMO.

Again kudos to your fans for making the trip. A hardcore mob IMO.

I do hope we meet again next season.

[stephenj]

ok i commit right now, if we win this season and are to face off against wigan again in the uk, i will make the long trip north to cheer on my roosters! im sure others will join me, that assuming of course qantas along with my staff travel still exist then!

[DanWRL]

Mate I respect you and your fans that travelled there.

I respect your clubs awesome record and history.

But I honestly believe the gap between the two comps has grown wider of late. So much so that I doubt your side would make the top 8 in the NRL.

I don't know the answers or how to prevent the gap widening other than like has occurred with The Bros over the last 20 years you may need to get more players out here, even look at getting a side in the NRL???

I reckon your comp is lucky the WCC is a one off game each year and scheduled when it is, cos it gives your teams at least a chance to compete. Fair dinkum if we played you a week or 2 after the GF we'd have destroyed your mob

I'm not especially trying to be negative, I'm just not going to sugar coat what I believe the situation to be. Personally I would prefer The Poms to be a lot stronger for RL in general. Nothing better than genuine competition IMO.

Again kudos to your fans for making the trip. A hardcore mob IMO.

I do hope we meet again next season.

The gap has grown, of that there is no doubt. It will continue to grow as well until the RFL address the issue of the salary cap which is killing it in my opinion. Until that gets sorted Super League sides will continue to lose it's best players to the NRL and Rah Rah at the rate it is doing thus making the competition weaker.

As it stands at the moment we have 4 maybe 5 other teams in the league that can give us a game, the rest are utter sh!te. If you stuck this current Wigan team in the NRL tomorrow then I'm sure they would hold their own and only improve by playing competitive sides each week.

[DanWRL]

ok i commit right now, if we win this season and are to face off against wigan again in the uk, i will make the long trip north to cheer on my roosters! im sure others will join me, that assuming of course qantas along with my staff travel still exist then!

You're on! Bring your warmest clothes though because it'll be bloody freezing!

[Guest]

That was the main talking point for me after the game, where would these guys finish in the NRL.

I think they gave a pretty good account. They tried very hard and were tough up front but just lacked that touch of class. Losing Tomkins is obviously a massive blow.

I thought tactically they were poor though. Those sweep players and going side to side really doesn't work against us. We are too smart and fast to cover them. The few times we were troubled last year was when teams just attacked us up the middle.

Anyway well done to Dan and the other Wigan fans, they were well behaved and got behind their side. I hope they enjoyed their trip.